


Slowly, but Surely

by Light_It_On_Fire



Series: Little Things [2]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, body issuses, but I didn't mean for it to be perceived that way, possible eating disorder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 21:04:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20070571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Light_It_On_Fire/pseuds/Light_It_On_Fire
Summary: The three of them are trying to help Virgil. They’re making progress. Slowly, but Surely.





	Slowly, but Surely

Patton is jealous of Virgil’s figure. He would never ever, ever tell him that though. Patton knows that thinking like that is toxic.  
He knows.  
He may not be happy with his body, but darn it all he was not going to push his views onto Virgil!  
The younger trait is just so… thin.  
It’s concerning, really.  
He supposes that, while Virgil has always been that thin, his tiny frame had always been hidden under his bulky hoodie.  
He supposes that they just never cared enough to notice.  
Once, before they had realized their mistake in their treatment of Virgil, Patton had had a nightmare. After waking up in a cold sweat, he had decided to go downstairs to indulge in one of his (very) guilty pleasures, a second cookie.  
He should really stop eating those second cookies. Regardless that Roman had shown him a new recipe the other day that was soooo good.  
He had shuffled into the kitchen at two in the morning, only to be startled by the light of the fridge.  
The pale face of Anxiety stared back at him, before he quickly stood, squeaking out an “ I’m sorry, I’m leaving.”  
He did just that.  
Patton couldn’t help but notice that he hadn’t taken any food with him.  
The next time he saw Virgil was a week later, a breakfast, where Roman sneered and glared and Logan sat down his book at the only empty spot at the table. Virgil left again. He hadn’t eaten.  
It makes Patton choke on tears if he thinks about it too much. So he doesn’t.  
Instead, he notices when Virgil hasn’t come to dinner in a while, or denies Logan’s offers of protein bars or fruit too many times, or, out of habit, skips breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.  
Instead, Patton cooks one of Virgil's favorite meals, leaving it in front of his door. If things get really bad, he pulls Logan aside to ask that he take the food up to him. Logan was good at subtly getting Virgil to take the food.  
Instead, Patton gently encourages Virgil to help him bake, letting him lick the batter off the spoon. Logan, who always seems to be hovering about Virgil, not saying a word about Salmonella or E. Coli.  
He won’t address it. He won’t embarrass Virgil like that. But he’ll try to help.  
They’re making progress. Slowly, but surely.

~~~

Roman is more observant than the others give him credit for.  
He supposes that that is a good thing. They don’t try as hard to hide things from him. Patton’s body issues were one example. Roman was sure that Logan and Virgil had no idea that Roman’s love struggled with that.  
So he noticed when Virgil picked at his food meal after meal after meal.  
He noticed when he picked Virgil up, (usually against his will) and he could feel Virgil’s ribs through his hoodie.  
He notices when he entered the kitchen in the morning, the other three already up eating breakfast, Virgil tenses. Just for a moment, as if he’s expecting Roman to yell at him.  
Roman doesn't know how to help Virgil. Not like he did Patton.  
He can't exactly be as cuddly and sappy with Virgil as with Patton.  
For one, he thinks Logan might actually follow through on some of his past threats to drop kick him into the subconscious. (That’s another thing he's noticed. The two left-brained traits spend an awfully lot of time together. Including spending the night together in Logan’s room. Often. They really aren't good at hiding their feelings.)  
For another, Virgil just isn't a cuddly person by nature. It wouldn't have the same positive effect. Especially with Roman being the one being so affectionate with him.  
He wasn’t exactly… the kindest to Virgil in the past. He remembers several times when he drove Virgil away from the kitchen. At the time he had felt only satisfaction. Now, he wants to scream at his past self for being so blind.  
So he just does his best to be welcoming, and to encourage Virgil to eat more  
At movie nights, he passes the popcorn bowl over to Virgil more often.  
At the breakfast table, he greets Virgil first, giving him a non-threatening smile.  
He believes he’s seeing a difference.  
They’re making progress. Slowly, but surely.

~~~

Logan and Virgil talk, sometimes. In the dead of night, curled together in Logan’s bed, they’ll whisper their fears and insecurities and secrets to each other.  
Logan can not even begin to recount how many times he’s cried while spilling some dark part of his soul to Virgil.  
Or while Virgil tells him about his own darkest worries and troubles.  
One memorable time, they had been snuggled together, sitting up against the headboard of the bed. A small lamp on Logan’s bedside table softly lit the area as the two simply enjoyed each other's presence.  
Logan has registered that Virgil was tense while he was leaning against him, but decided to let Virgil address whatever it was himself.  
Virgil has eventually spoken up, quietly explaining to Logan how every time he went to to get something out of the fridge, he felt so guilty, like he was stealing.  
How every morning he woke up dreading having to walk downstairs to get something to eat before realizing that things have changed, that Roman and Logan wouldn't run him out of the kitchen, and Patton wouldn’t let them.  
How when he was sitting at the dinner table, he was always tense, waiting for a snappy remark aimed his way.  
By the time Virgil slowly stopped talking, Logan had drawn him close to his chest, nearly sitting in Logan’s lap.  
He had pressed a shaky kiss to Virgil's forehead and whispered assurances to him. That those things would never happen again, that the three of them were so sorry about how they had behaved, that these things were something that the two of them could work on together if he wanted.  
Now, Logan knew to grab a protein bar or a piece of fruit for Virgil periodically throughout the day, so he wouldn’t have to worry about getting them himself.  
Now, every morning Logan was there to lay next to Virgil, to be a physical reminder every morning that he wasn’t alone anymore, that he didn’t have to dread the day.  
Now, he always made sure to actively engage in conversation with Virgil if he noticed that he was retreating into himself too much.  
They’re making progress. Slowly, but surely.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I would love it if you commented! Special thanks to Rosie_Lou for being being my beta reader!  
I'm also on tumblr [@light-it-on-fire](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/light-it-on-fire)  
My writing blog is [@sanders-sides-snippets-n-stories](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sanders-sides-snippets-n-stories)


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